Device for producing a lubricant mist in a compressed air line

ABSTRACT

Device for generating a lubricant spray in a compressed air line having an air passage channel ( 2 ) in a housing ( 1 ), a regulating valve ( 5 ), in particular a proportional valve, which can change, via a control flap ( 14 ), the free cross-section of passage between the inlet ( 3 ) and the outlet ( 4 ) of the air passage channel ( 2 ) in dependence on the pressure difference, and with a lubricant supply container ( 7 ) connected to the inlet ( 3 ) of the air passage channel ( 2 ) via a filling valve ( 6 ) comprising a valve body ( 15 ) and connected to the outlet ( 4 ) via a suction line (rising pipe  8 ) and an oil sprayer ( 12 ), wherein the filling valve ( 6 ) closes at a pressure difference of more than approximately 1 bar, wherein the regulating valve ( 5 ) and the filling valve ( 6 ) are disposed close to one another and the control flap ( 14 ) of the regulating valve ( 5 ) and the valve body ( 15 ) of the filling valve ( 6 ) are made from a single piece of elastic material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a device for generating a lubricant spray in acompressed air line, comprising an air passage channel of a housing, aregulating valve, in particular a proportional valve, for changing thefree cross-section of passage in dependence upon the pressure differencebetween inlet and outlet of the air passage channel by means of acontrol flap, a lubricant supply container connected to the inlet of theair passage channel via a filling valve, comprising a valve body, andconnected to the outlet via an oil suction line and an oil sprayer,wherein the filling valve closes at a pressure difference of more than 1bar.

A device of this type, disclosed in DE-OS 16 01 474, comprises a flap inthe air passage channel pivotable against the force of a spring. Thefilling valve is disposed in the housing below the air passage channel.Assembly and maintenance are difficult due to the large number ofindividual parts.

DE-PS 21 42 613 discloses a further device having a control flap of theregulating valve formed by a rubber-elastic tongue which bends independence on the pressure difference between inlet and outlet tothereby change the free cross-section of passage. A filling valve is notmentioned therein, i.e. the device has to be stopped to refill oil.

To eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages, it is the underlyingpurpose of the present invention to further develop a device of theabove mentioned kind which is light weight and which has a low number ofeasily mounted and easily assembled parts to facilitate reliablefunction.

To achieve this object, the invention disposes the regulating valve andthe filling valve close to one another, wherein the control flap of theregulating valve and the valve body of the filling valve are producedfrom a single piece of elastic material, preferably rubber-elasticmaterial.

In this manner, only a few parts which are simple and inexpensive toproduce are required to thereby provide simple assembly.

Manufacturing effort is particularly reduced when the control flap andthe valve body are tongues having independent function which areconnected to one another via and borne by a support body. The singlepiece construction considerably reduces the number of parts to alsofacilitate automated assembly.

Costly bores in the housing are avoided by providing an opening, formingthe oil sprayer, in the support body in the area above and downstream ofthe control flap. The fluttering movement of the control flap vibratingin the air flow produces excellent oil atomization.

Additional parts can be eliminated when the upper end of the openingforming the oil sprayer, shaped as a drip funnel, is part of the supportbody.

Moreover, the support body can comprise a circular edge projection whichis tensioned with the housing via a head which forms, at leastpartially, a drip chamber. The edge projection consists of elastic,flexible material to thereby simultaneously effect sealing. In thismanner, additional sealing measures and fastening means are notrequired.

To further reduce the number of parts, the filling valve can befashioned from the valve body, formed as a flexible tongue, and anopening of a housing passage connecting the air passage channel with thelubricant supply container, wherein the valve body closes this openingfor increased pressure differences (in excess of approximately 1 bar)between the air passage channel and the inside of the oil container.

Assembly is particularly easy when the air passage channel comprises 2parallel walls proximate the control flap and when the control flap,formed as a tongue, bends between these walls in dependence on thepressure difference, to open the cross-section of passage to a greateror lesser extent.

Compact construction is facilitated by disposing the filling valve inthe housing, relative to the direction of air flow, sidewardly next tothe regulating valve and by guiding the suction line through the housingproximate the other opposite side.

Further embodiments in accordance with the invention can be extractedfrom the dependent claims and are explained, with their advantages, inthe following description with reference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a partial cross-section through a device for generating alubricant spray in the plane of passage of the air flow;

FIG. 2 shows a corresponding cross-section perpendicular to the flowdirection;

FIG. 3 shows a larger scale cross-section through the air passagechannel; and

FIG. 4 shows a section through the filling valve parallel to that ofFIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The device for generating a lubricant spray in a compressed air linecomprises a housing 1, preferentially made from plastic, with an airpassage channel 2 formed in a Venturi manner, and with a regulatingvalve 5 disposed between its inlet 3 and outlet 4.

The housing 1 has a filling valve 6 disposed next to the regulatingvalve 5 which connects the inlet 3 to a lubricant supply container 7disposed at the bottom of the housing 1.

The lubricant supply container 7 is connected to a drip chamber 10,surrounded by a head 9, via a rising pipe 8 (part of an oil suctionline) inserted deeply into the container and passing through the housing1. The oil is collected by a drip funnel 11 and is guided into andatomized in the air passage channel 2 via a bore functioning as an oilsprayer 12.

As clearly seen in FIG. 2, the regulating valve 5 and the filling valve6 are disposed next to one another. The regulating valve 5 comprises atongue-shaped control flap 14 (FIG. 3) made from an elastic material,and the filling valve 6 has a similarly shaped valve body 15 (FIG. 4).The valve body 15 and the control flap 14 are connected to one another,as a single piece, via a support body 16, wherein the support body 16further comprises a preferably circular edge projection 17 firmly heldbetween the housing 1 and the head 9.

In the region of the regulating valve 5, the air passage channel 2comprises parallel walls 18, 18′ between which the tongue-shaped controlflap 14 protrudes and pivots.

Air flows through the air passage channel 2 in response to a pressuredifference between the inlet 3 and the outlet 4. The larger the pressuredifference, the more the control flap 14 bends to change the freecross-section of passage (FIG. 3, shown in dashed lines).

The filling valve 6 is formed by an opening 19 of a housing passage 20and the valve body 15, structured as a resilient tongue. The opening 19is disposed at an angle relative to the axis of the housing passage 20(see FIG. 4). During operation, the tongue-like valve body 15 extends ata small angle with respect to the opening 19. When the lubricant supplycontainer 7 is removed in order to refill the oil supply, the pressurein the housing passage 20 drops considerably and the valve body 15 ispressed against and closes the opening 19 in response to the operatingpressure, to keep the device at normal operating pressure. Flow blockageis not necessary during oil filling.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for atomizing a lubricant in apressurized air conduit, the device comprising: a housing having an airpassage channel with an inlet, an outlet, and a passage connecting saidinlet to said outlet; a regulating valve mounted to said housing, saidregulating valve having a control flap extending into said passage tochange a free cross section thereof in dependence on a pressuredifference between said inlet and said outlet; a lubricant supplycontainer mounted to said housing; a filling valve disposed proximatesaid regulating valve and connecting said lubricant supply container tosaid inlet, said filling valve having a valve body, said valve body andsaid control flap being made from one single piece of elastic material,said valve body closing said filling valve at a pressure differencebetween said inlet and said lubricant supply container in excess ofapproximately 1 bar; a suction line for connecting said lubricant supplycontainer to said outlet; and a lubricant atomizer connected betweensaid suction line and said outlet.
 2. The device of claim 1, whereinsaid regulating valve is a proportional valve.
 3. The device of claim 1,wherein said control flap and said valve body are independentlyfunctioning tongues connected to each other and borne by a support body.4. The device of claim 3, wherein said lubricant atomizer has an openingin said support body disposed above and downstream of said control flap.5. The device of claim 4, wherein an upper end of said opening is shapedas a drip funnel fashioned in said support body.
 6. The device of claim3, wherein said housing comprises a head defining a drip chamber, saidsupport body comprising a peripheral edge projection securely borne insaid head.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein said valve body is aflexible tongue and said housing has a housing passage for connectingsaid inlet to said lubricant supply container, wherein said valve bodycloses an opening in said housing passage at increased pressuredifferences between said inlet and an inside of said lubricant supplycontainer.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein said air passage channelcomprises two parallel walls proximate said control flap, said controlflap shaped as a flexible tongue, bending between said walls independence on a partial pressure difference to open said passage to agreater and lesser extent.
 9. The device of claim 8, wherein saidfilling valve is disposed in said housing at a first side of saidregulating valve transverse to an air flow direction in said air passageand said suction line is guided through said housing at a second side ofsaid regulating valve opposite to said first side.